Highlights
- Three nights and two full days in the Maasai Mara
- Direct flights between Mara, Nairobi and the coast, with minimal driving
- Four nights on Diani Beach, with snorkelling, dhow trips and a colobus monkey sanctuary
- A day trip to Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park for dolphins and coral
Day by day
Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi
Meet your driver at the airport and settle into a hotel in Karen or Westlands. Get some rest, and consider dinner at a local restaurant that serves nyama choma, grilled meat. Our Nairobi guide has ideas if you land early.
Day 2: Fly to the Maasai Mara
A morning flight from Wilson Airport takes about an hour to a Mara airstrip, where your guide meets you. Check in, have lunch, and go on an afternoon game drive. Camps range from a handful of tents to larger lodges with pools, and location on the Mara River or in a private conservancy affects both price and crowds.
Days 3 and 4: Maasai Mara
Two full days of game drives. Expect lions, elephants, giraffes and cheetahs on most days, and in the second half of the year the migration on the Mara River. The Maasai Mara guide covers the areas, seasons and park fees in detail. An optional dawn balloon ride is a highlight for many people and needs to be booked ahead.
Day 5: Fly to Diani
This is a travel day. After a final early drive, you’ll fly to Nairobi, then connect to Ukunda, the small airport for Diani, which is served by scheduled flights. Some itineraries route through Jomo Kenyatta International instead. Arrive at your beach hotel by late afternoon, and do nothing at all.
Days 6 to 8: Diani Beach
Diani is a long stretch of white sand backed by palm trees and lined with hotels of all sizes. Activities include snorkelling, kite-surfing, sunset dhow cruises, spa treatments and walks along the beach. Colobus Conservation protects the Angolan colobus monkeys that live in the coastal forest. A day trip to Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park, by boat from Shimoni, offers snorkelling over coral and the chance to see dolphins. Dolphin encounters vary in how responsibly they’re run, so choose an operator who keeps a respectful distance.
Shimba Hills National Park is a short drive inland and has sable antelope and elephants in hilly forest. Fitting it in is worthwhile if you want one more safari day.
Day 9: Depart
Fly from Ukunda to Nairobi and connect to your international flight, or use Mombasa’s Moi International Airport if your airline flies from there. Leave ample time for connections.
What’s included and what isn’t
Included: accommodation, most meals, park and conservancy fees, transfers, and the domestic flights described above. Excluded: international flights, visas, drinks, tips and optional activities such as balloons and boat trips. Kenya now requires an Electronic Travel Authorisation for most visitors, so apply through the official portal before you travel, and see our visa guide.
Making it yours
If you want a beach that’s quieter than Diani, ask about Watamu or Lamu. If you’d rather stay in the bush, consider the Amboseli and Tsavo itinerary, which can also end at the coast. Prefer Tanzania? See the Serengeti and Zanzibar route.
Parks on this route
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Kenya's best-known reserve: big cats all year and the Mara River crossings from July to October.
Request this trip
Pricing: Quoted per couple or family, depending on the lodge and season. As a rough planning range, expect about US$2,800 to US$5,500 per person on the ground, including internal flights. International flights are extra.
Questions about this trip
When is the best time for a Kenya safari and beach combination?
July to October gives you the migration in the Mara and drier, breezier weather on the coast. January to March is hot and dry on the coast and green and quiet in the Mara. Avoid April and May, when the long rains hit both places and some coastal hotels close.
Is Diani Beach good for swimming?
Yes, mostly. The beach is wide with soft sand, and the reef offshore keeps the water calm. Tides matter: at low tide the water retreats a long way in some places. Seaweed can wash up at certain times, and hotels usually clear it.
How do you get from the Mara to Diani?
Fly from a Mara airstrip to Nairobi's Wilson Airport, transfer across town, then fly to Ukunda airport near Diani. You can also go via Jomo Kenyatta International. Allow a full day, and don't book tight connections.
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Last updated 20 September 2026. Itineraries are starting points. Routes, lodges and prices are adjusted to your dates, group size and budget. Rift & Reef quotes are valid for the dates stated on the quote.